Goalkeeper Declan Rudd returned to the starting XI after recovering from a quad injury sustained early in pre-season.
Alan Browne was the only survivor from the side which started last Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Swansea in the Championship, a shift in position seeing him move to an advanced midfield role from right-back.
Darnell Fisher made the line-up, a calf injury having disrupted much of the pre-season for him.
For skipper Paul Gallagher, this was his 300th appearance in all competitions in a Preston shirt
Daniel Johnson returned to the squad as a substitute having missed the Swansea game amid all the speculation about Rangers' interest in taking him to Glasgow.
It was a strong bench named by North End, with Ben Davies, Tom Barkhuizen and Scott Sinclair among the subs.
Former England captain Wayne Rooney was named in the starting line-up by Derby.
Derby: Roos, Wisdom, Te Wierik, Clarke, Buchanan, Evans, Shinnie, Kinight, Sibley, Whittaker, Rooney. Subs: Forsyth, Bird, Marriott, Davies, Brown, Ibrahim, Marshall.
PNE: Rudd, Fisher, Bauer, Huntington, Rafferty, Bayliss, Gallagher, Maguire, Browne, Harrop, Stockley. Subs: Davies, Johnson, Hughes, Ledson, Barkhuizem, Sinclair, Ripley.
Referee: Andy Davies (Hampshire)